Locking device.



R. KOEHLER.v

LOCKING DEVICE. APPLICATION msn Dc.21, Isls.

1,251,243. y Panted Dee. 25,1917.

RUDOLPH KOEHLB., 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Yineiinve Davies..

specification or Letters raient. Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

appiicetioaied recenter 27, 1,915. seriaiNo. 58,621.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH KOEHLER, a citizen of the United States of America, -residing in the city of St. Louis and State 'of Missouri, have inventedvcertain new and usefnl Improvements in Locking Devices for Locking the Motor-'Control Levers lof the Engine and Steering-Gear of an Auto-mobile Together, of which the following is a 'speci'- fication.

This is a companion application'to'my application for Letters Patent on locking devices which was filed -on November 20th, 1915, under Serial No. 62,1167, thispresent application showing a different construction of 'locking device. l 1

The object of this invention is to provide a locking device that is adapted to engage the steering wheel of an automobile Vaswell as the engine control levers, commonly known as the carbureter lever and the spark control lever, so thatfall of said parts which are engaged by the locking" device willbe held against operable movement relative to controlling an automobile.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of thev steering wheel `of an automobile showing the engine control levers, this improved lock-ing devicebeing locked tothe wheel and levers. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line II-H of Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the accompany ing drawings, 1 desi Gnates a steering wheel which is mounted to the upper end of a steering post Y2, said p'cfst being mounted in therpo'st 'support 3. Operatably mounted in the .post support 3 is ra carbureter controlv lever 4, and oppositel'y 'disposed to 'said lever 4- is' a kspark control lever '5, saidle'v'ers being mounted on their respective 'quadrants 6 'and 7, and are adaptedto abut stops 8 and '-9 respectively when said levers aremove'd into their inactive positions. l

As shown inthe drawings the locking device 10 is in a. position of locking in which the steering wheel and kengine control levers are engaged by the locking device and are held against beingoperated. The lockingl device 10 comprises la. pair of movable members 11 and 1'2 that ,arel 'pivoted Ito each' other bythe rivetV l13.. Formed on each of the members 11 and 12 adjacent the upper ends thereofis a'r'ee'e'ss 14,' 'said recesses" of said members being adapted to be engaged against and over the opposite sides of one of the spokes 15 of the steering wheel 1.I Y

Formed in the member 12 adjacent they lower *end thereof is "afnelongated opening 1.6. Formed in the lower end ofthe meinber 1,1 is an opening 17, and 4formed in said membe'radjacent said openingis a recess'f18. livotally mounted at 19 'to the member 11 is a locking platev 20, and 'formed insaid `plate isa recess'21 that is oppositely ldisposed. vto the recess 18 which is formed inthe member 11. An Openingv 22 is also formed .inl said plate, said opening adapted to aline with the opening 17 ofthe member V11.

This improved lccliingY device when not in use is entirely disengaged from the parts which it is adapted to lock. When it is desi'r'edV to lock the ccntrollinv parts, the lodiing device 10 is engaged andthe device ,is held in a position so th'atthe elongated 'open`- ing '16 ofthe member V'12 can bemounted over the flattened engaging end 23 of the spark control lever 5. The members 11 'and 12 'are moved on the pivot 13 to an approximate position as shown by "dotted llines in Figi/2 'so' by the spoke of the wheel, providing the op-y erator will turn the wheel a vfractional'ldista'nc'e to the right, in 'which the underface of Vthe spoke will bear againstV the inclined edge 25 ofthe member 11. p

Inasmuch as the first operation toward mounting this locking device in av 'locked positionwas to anchor the lower end of the member 12 to the spark lever 5, the spoke .15

of the wheel upon beingmoved to the right, as aforesaid, will engage in the recess l121 of' saidf member 12, thereby pulling "on" said member and tending to move 4theout'er end of said member upwardly, which npv'a'rdl movement will forcethe hooks 24'towa`rd each other and over the top'o'f the spo-ke.V

During the ride over movementof the hooksA 24'r'elat-ive tothe spoke -15, ithe recess 18 ^of the member 12 wasbeing engaged overthe fte'r the recess 18 is engaged over said lever 1, the locking plate 20 is then swung on its pivot and the recess 21 thereof will engage said lever on the side opposite to the engagement of the recess 18.

The openings 17 and 22 ofthe member 11 and plate 20 are then in alinement, and the lock 26 is engaged in said openings thereby locking the plate 21 in a closed position relative to the carbureter lever 4. In mounting this improved locking device it is preferable to mount the lower ends of the members 11 and l2 over the control levers adjacent the bent portions 27 thereof, said bent port-ions forming shoulders to said members.

Vhen the device is mounted in a locked position as just related, the intermediate portions of the members 11 and 12 will bear against the boxing 28 and in Which position of mounting relative to the position of engagement of Athe lower ends of the members against the bent portions 27 of the levers, the device is rigidly mounted to all of the parts to which it is adapted to grip.

lVhen it is desired to dismount the locking device from the locked parts, the lock 26 is released from its locked position and the members 11 and 12 are swung to an approximate alining position relative to each other, said parts then being swung away from the Wheel spoke, and the member 12 is disengaged from the spark control lever 5.

That I claim is:

l. A locking device for the steering Wheel and engine control levers of an automobile, comprising a pair of members pivoted to each other, an engaging portion formed on each of said members adapted to engage a portion of said Wheel, means for securing one of said members toone of said control levers and a securing member carried by the other of said pivoted members,'said securing member when secured to one of said control levers adapted to prevent said members from being moved relative to one another.

2. A locking device for the steering vvheel and engine control levers of an automobile, comprising a pair of members pivoted to each other, a spoke engaging portion formed on each of said members, an opening formed in one endof one of said members, a recess formed in one end of said other member, said opening of one of said members when mounted over one of said control levers providing means whereby said engaging portions of said members and said recessed end of one of said members can be simultaneously engaged over a spoke of said Wheel and said other control lever respectively and locking means for securing said recessed end of one of said members to its respective control lever.

3. A locking device for the steering Wheel Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the and engine control levers of an automobile, comp 1i'sing a pair of members pivoted to each other, a spoke engaging portion formed on each of said members, above the pivot of said members, said engaging portions being oppositelj7 disposed relative to earch other, an opening formed in one end of one oi' said members, a recess formed in one end of said other member, said opening of one of said members when mounted over one of said control levers providing means whereby said engaging portions of said members and said recessed end of one or' said members can be simultaneously engaged over a spoke oi said Wheel and said other control lever respectively and means for locking one oil said members against being disengaged from its respective control lever.

4. A locking device for the steering Wheel and engine control levers of an automobile, comprising a pair of members pivoted to cach other, an engaging portion formed on each of said members adapted to be engaged over one oil the spokes of said Wheel, a securing member carried by one of said pivoted members, an opening formed adjacent one end of said other pivoted member adapted to beengaged over one of said control levers, said securing member when secured to said other control lever adapted to prevent said engaging portions from becoming disengaged from the spoke of said Wheel.

5. The combination with pivoted levers and a steering Wheel, of a pair of pivotally mounted members, each provided with an engaging portion for engagement with said respective levers, means formed on said members for engagement with a portion of said Wheel, and a locking element carried by one of said members for engagement with one of said levers.

6. The combination with pivoted levers and a steering Wheel, or" a pair of pivotally mounted members, each provided with an engaging portion for engagement With said respective levers, a recessed portion formed on each of said membersrfor engagement with a portion of said Wheel, and a lockingy element carried by one of said members for engagement with one of said levers.

7. The combination with pivoted levers and a steering Wheel, of apair of pivotally mounted members.y each provided with an engaging portion for engagement with said respective levers, means formed on said members for engagement With a portion of said wheel, and a locking element swing-v ingly secured to one of said members for securing said member to one of said levers.

RUDOLPH KOEHLER.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

